William Blair Townsend letter and receipt books, 1743-1805, bulk 1744-1777

The collection consists of two volumes, which date from 1743 to 1805, spanning his whole career as a merchant. Volume one is a letter book containing Townsend's business correspondence from November 23, 1743 to December 12, 1774. Most of the letters were written to American (many in North Carolina) and British (predominately in London) merchants. His earliest letters document his efforts to establish himself as a trader. Over time his letters turn to illustrate the common problems faced by many merchants: damaged goods, overpriced goods, embargos, and high freight costs. Particularly enlightening are his comments on the challenges of doing business throughout the French and Indian War and the years leading up to the American Revolution. He most frequently corresponded with London merchants Champion & Hayley, Lane & Booth, Lane Son & Fraser, Harrison & Ansley, and Leeds merchant Samuel Elam. In addition he frequently corresponded with Eliakim Palmer, colonial agent and merchant in London, as well as Dr. Walley Chauncy of North Carolina. He dealt in a wide variety of goods including molasses, rum, tar, medicines, pitch, saddles, tallow, hides, skins, pickled beef and pork, and wine. The letters also document Townsend's involvement in the slave trade through his occasional purchases of slaves.

Reminiscences, 1755-1762: including the Louisburg and Quebec campaigns, manuscript, 1792

Autograph diary, in the hand of British officer Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton, written in Bermuda.

Oratio salutatoria et oratio valedictoria, ca. 1763

Undated and unattributed handwritten Latin salutatory and valedictory orations composed for the Harvard College Commencement. A modern note with the materials suggests Nathaniel Sparhawk (Harvard AB 1765) as the author, but the author was more likely Joseph Hooper (Harvard AB 1763), who delivered the orations for the 1763 Harvard Commencement. While the documents are undated, textual clues include mention of the command of George III in recent war against France and Spain, suggesting the speech was written soon after the Treaty of Paris which was signed in February 1763 to end the Seven Years' War. The speech also celebrates Harvard Tutor William Kneeland, who resigned from his position in July 1763, and mentions the illness of Professor Edward Wigglesworth (who died before the 1765 Commencement). The text also mentions Professor John Winthrop and Massachusetts Governor Francis Bernard.

Benjamin Gerrish letter to an unidentified correspondent : manuscript, 1759

Concerns the preparations for the reduction of Quebec.

The life of Rev. Michael Schlatter with a full account of his travels and labors among the Germans in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia : including his services as chaplain in the French and Indian War, and in the war of the Revolution, 1716 to 1790 /

Spine title: Schlatter's life and travels.

History of Barnet, Vermont, from the outbreak of the French and Indian war to present time;

Mode of access: Internet.

Some of the descendants of Zaccheus Ballord : a private in the revolutionary war; also in the last French and Indian war.

Mode of access: Internet.

The hunters of the hills; a story of the great French and Indian war,

Mode of access: Internet.

Farm drainage in the United States : history, status, and prospects.

"December 1987"--P. i.

Manuscript records of the French and Indian war in the library of the Society,

Reprinted in part from Proceedings of the Society, Oct. 1907-Oct. 1908.

History of the Third division, United States army, in the world war, for the period, December 1, 1917, to January 1, 1919.

Accompanied by 6 maps (53 x 75 1/2 cm folded to 22 x 14 cm)

Historical sketch of the second war between the United States of America and Great Britain : declared by act of Congress, the 18th of June, 1812, and concluded by peace, the 15th of February, 1815 /

On t.p. of v. 1: "In three volumes." No more pub. under this title. In 1852 a continuation in 2 v. appeared under title: History of the second war ... Second series.

A complete history of the Marquis de Lafayette, major general in the army of the United States of America, in the war of the revolution : embracing an account of his late tour thorough the United States to the time of his departure, September, 1825 /

Mode of access: Internet.

The resilience of democratic institutions in Britain, Australia and the United States under conditions of total war

To what extent are democratic institutions resilient when nation states mobilise for war? Normative and empirical political theorists have long argued that wars strengthen the executive and threaten constitutional politics. In modern democracies, national assemblies are supposed to hold the executive to account by demanding explanations for events and policies; and by scrutinising, reviewing and, if necessary, revising legislative proposals intended to be binding on the host society or policies that have been implemented already. This article examines the extent to which the British and Australian parliaments and the United States Congress held their wartime executives to account during World War II. The research finds that under conditions approaching those of total war, these democratic institutions not only continued to exist, but also proved to be resilient in representing public concerns and holding their executives to account, however imperfectly and notwithstanding delegating huge powers. In consequence, executives—more so British and Australian ministers than President Roosevelt—were required to be placatory as institutional and political tensions within national assemblies and between assemblies and executives continued, and assemblies often asserted themselves. In short, even under the most onerous wartime conditions, democratic politics mattered and democratic institutions were resilient.